Yesterday saw Killing Eve nominated for two, well deserved, Golden Globe awards and although I'm not happy that Jodie Comer was snubbed, I really wanted to post a piece about the show and why it is one of my favourite TV series this year. So that being said here it is.
Laugh out loud funny, action packed, and incredibly sexy; BBC America’s newest venture Killing Eve appears to be a huge hit amongst audiences globally and I can see why. Killing Eve sees Greys Anatomy veteran Sandra Oh take on the role of true crime fan-girl and deskbound MI5 agent Eve Polastri, whose job is to track down psychopathic Russian assassin, and the slightly loveable weirdo Villanelle played by Jodie Comer. During this game of cat and mouse, the two women become obsessed with each other; especially after delving into the others daily life. This dynamic leads to edge of your seat drama with feminist undertones and a good measure of dark comedy.
If you’re anything like me you will find yourself falling for crazed psychopath Villanelle and you will question your morals because of it, but you’re not the only one. Since it’s initial release, an army of queer women have been spellbound by the quirky assassin and this is most likely due to Comer’s near perfect portrayal of her. Comer is captivating in the role, and her extremely believable Russian accent will soon have you forgetting that she’s a Liverpool girl with a background in British television shows such as My Mad Fat Diary and Doctor Foster. Sandra Oh is equally as alluring in her role as Eve, capturing her take no shit determination perfectly. It’s the chemistry between the two leads that gives the show its sparkle. You cannot look away when they share a scene together; the moment Villanelle surprises Eve at home to eat dinner with her in such a nonchalant way is one of the more intensely brilliant examples of this.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge adapted Luke Jennings’ novels to create the scripts for Killing Eve and, just as she did with her last hit project Fleabag, she subverts most expectations you may have of the spy genre. In doing so Pheobe has created something new and far more exciting with this daring project. Not only are we presented with two solid female characters in a genre that is more often than not saturated by men, Phoebe's scripts are beautifully original and dripping with hilarious one-liners as well as gut wrenching hardships. There are moments you will laugh when you think you probably shouldn’t, and there are moments you will want to cry. Killing Eve pairs these moments effortlessly. So whilst this BBC America drama may not win any awards for “positive” queer representation, it is still a must watch.
Throughout the eight part series, the great writing and stellar performances keep you engrossed in the narrative; constantly questioning what will happen next, and will they hook up? In one particularly amusing scene we see Villanelle roleplaying with an unsuspecting woman, telling her "I’m going to call you Eve". She goes on to tell the woman it is all just part of a biblical fantasy she has. Moments like this parallel the shows darker themes perfectly, allowing for less heavy viewing than the average cold blooded murder saturated shows of today; which is probably why I binge watched the entire series and I highly recommend you do the same.
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Killing Eve is availble to binge watch on BBCiplayer